The Great Big Melbourne Post

I’ve been asked a question. That question is “What, in your opinion, is or are the most amazing, unusual, strange or just plain weird things about where you live? “

Robert Hruzek is the questioner. My Home Town is the new meme! I live in Melbourne, and this post is my attempt to answer Robert’s question.

Given this is a meme, I’ve got to tag people, but that’ll come at the end of the post.

1. Lonsdale St Power Station

Only Melbourne is visionary enough to build a power station right in the middle of its central business district. It is about to be demolished, but the smokestack, covered in eye-catching graffiti slogans such as “Save The Tarkine” and “No Jobs On A Dead Planet”, is still standing.

2. Bunjil the Creator

Bunjil is a god that noone worships, but at least he has a statue erected to him now, thanks to the Victorian Government. Bunjil stands above Wurundjeri Way, watching out for evil and compiling traffic reports.

3. Eureka Tower

Purportedly the world’s largest residential tower (or was that on the Gold Coast?), it features a glass observation deck that juts out of the side of the building. One of Melbourne’s newest features. I plan on visiting it myself in the near future.

4. Man on disembodied hand

An artwork on display in Southbank. About standing on the shoulders of giants, or perhaps their hands. Not sure how that works.

5. Subterranean Library

An underground library, with only one corner visible above the surface.

I’ve never been able to find the entrance. Can anyone help me out here?

6. The Flying Pig

Yarp. A flying pig. And you thought they didn’t exist. Well, this one does.

Many people miss this as it’s close to a massive billboard. Nobody misses the billboard.

7. Massive Oversized Purse

Something for people to walk around in Bourke St Mall, and think it’s a clam if they come at it from the wrong angle.

8. Strange, But Very Colourful Beast

This one’s outside the National Gallery. Based on a hallucination of one of Melbourne’s founders, so it’s both trippy and historical.

(Actually I made that last bit up, but it ought to be true, and that’s close enough, right?)

9. Eyes On Stalks

Another weird piece of art in Southbank.

This is the official piece of Melbourne weirdness. The City Council certainly thinks so, anyway.

10. Waterfall Boat

Another Southbank artwork, this one is hidden away from the main drag so noone can see it. Which makes it difficult if you have to find it as part of a scavenger hunt. But that’s another story.

11. Rather Large Hammer

On Russell St. I don’t want to meet the carpenter.

12. The Shot Tower

It survives because the developers weren’t allowed to knock it down. They built a huge dome around it instead.

Very cool.

13. Trams

Probably not all that unique by international standards, but Melbourne is the only Australian city that has trams. (Glenelg and Sydney don’t count.) The tram network runs for 245km in various routes. One of the two things that define Melbourne in the eyes of other Australians. (The other is bad weather.)

In fact, Melbourne loves its trams so much there was a flying tram featured in the 2006 Commonwealth Games opening ceremony, as pictured here.

14. Hook turns

Only applicable when you see a sign such as the one to the right. You will recall that Australians drive on the left. In a hook turn, a driver must stay in the left lane, enter the intersection on the green light, and wait until it goes red before making the turn.

Confused? A helpful animation is available , although it may just confuse you further.

The hook turn is there so that trams are not blocked by cars turning right. Bewildering not only to international visitors, but also other Australians and many Melbourne residents.

15. Street art

Melbourne has a large and varied street art scene, one of the best in the world apparently. Click for full size image:

Loads more Melbourne street art can be viewed at GII.net.

16. Music scene

While writing this post I realised that a lot of my favourite music is from Melbourne, which is completely a coincidence rather than by design. So, while it takes this post into self-indulgent territory, here are three interesting and unique Melbourne music clips. (RSS readers, click through to view:)

Midnight Juggernauts - Shadows

Midnight Juggernauts are “indie electro synth pop” according to Inpress. Very cool song with a Tron-like clip. Their album comes out in a week or so.

The Avalanches - Frontier Psychiatrist

Their album, “Since I Left You”, makes all other music sound underdone by comparison. Usually classified as “Dance”, this is nothing like anything you’d hear at a club. The clip fits the music well.

Magic Dirt - Pristine Christine

Who doesn’t like a bit of noise rock from Geelong? Plenty of people, actually, but I spent a year listening to little else apart from their “Friends In Danger” album, this song being one of my favourites.

And now… memerific tag action!!!

Expect My Home Town posts from the following, provided they’re up for it:

• Benjamin, Perth, supposedly in Western Australia
• The Molks, Brisbane, Queensland
• Jason, Taipei, Taiwan
• Hrafn, Reykjavik, Iceland

(Photo credits: Toxic Custard, Mugley, Melbourne In Photos, others as already noted. Sorry if I forgot anyone.)